Look To The Stars News: Roger Federer

Roger Federer Visits Ethiopia For Charity

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:00:00 -0000

The Roger Federer Foundation spends approximately $1 million a year on education in Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, Mali, Malawi and Zimbabwe, so it’s no surprise that this week we find the Grand Slam champion visiting a school in Ethiopia where he received a hero’s welcome.

“My Mum being from South Africa is obviously the inspiration behind the foundation,” Roger Federer said, “I went there on vacation a lot when I was younger. So we started with a project in South Africa and, as I got older and got more money, I wanted to expand…when I arrived at the school and all of the children were singing, it was very emotional,” Federer told Reuters. “They sang, `Roger, our Father’ to me. I didn’t really understand it at the beginning but I still had tears in my eyes.”

Federer is hopeful that his seven-month old twin girls, Myla and Charlene, will grow up to appreciate the world around them: “I definitely want to show them that this world exists as well,” Federer said, gesturing at the tin-roofed classrooms around him, “There’s no way around it for them because I’ll be traveling. It will be a very exciting ten years for me because I’ll be trying to educate and help them and show them all these things.”

During his visit, the owner of 16 grand slam titles accepted a challenge to run against the school’s best athletes in a 1km fun run. Federer was quickly humbled as the Ethiopian children overtook him en masse. 

“I’ve always had massive respect for long distance sports,” he said. “The terrain was so dangerous and they ran barefoot. It was impressive to say the least.”

Roger Federer Leads Charity Fundraiser For Haiti

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

On the eve of the Australian Open, Roger Federer had his eye on more than a trophy – because three days prior, the earthquake in Haiti stuck and killed at last 200,000 people. So what’s a champ to do except hold a charity tennis match to aid relief efforts

Federer initiated and organized a mixed-doubles fundraiser that raised more than $600,000 and featured some of tennis’ top stars, wearing microphones on court and providing comedic commentary as they played.

On the court were, among others, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and Lleyton Hewitt.

The match – held at the Rod Laver Arena – raised about $125,000, with seats priced to sell at just under $10, and spurred an onslaught of donations from the tennis world.

“Haiti is a tragedy that has touched the hearts of the world,” Tennis Australia CEO Steve Wood said in the statement. “The tennis community just wanted to help.”

The ATP Tour, the WTA Tour and the International Tennis Federation contributed a combined $265,000; the Grand Slam Committee gave $177,000 after Federer won his 16th Grand Slam final.

Federer beat Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11), to win his 16th Grand Slam title and his fourth Australian Open.

Players have also donated rackets to an auction on eBay which raised almost $40,000.

A Weekend Of Celebrity Giving To Haiti

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Sandra Bullock is the latest star to give big to Haitian earthquake relief over a weekend defined by donations of time and money.

The star has matched last week’s donation of $1 million from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

“I wanted to ensure that my donation would be used immediately to meet the needs of the Haitian people affected by this catastrophic event,” she said. Her donation went to Doctors Without Borders.

She has been joined over the weekend by Madonna, who gave $250,000 to Partners in Health.

“My prayers are with the people of Haiti,” she said. “I can’t imagine the terrible pain and suffering they are experiencing. Sadly the depths of the tragedy are just becoming known and the need for our support grows more urgent with every passing moment. I have given a donation of $250,000 to assist Haiti’s earthquake victims through Partners in Health, one of Haiti’s leading healthcare providers. I urge all of my friends and fans around the world to join me collectively to match my contribution or give in any way you can. We must act now.”

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen also dipped into deep pockets for the cause, handing over $1.5 million to the Red Cross.

“I am heartbroken by the catastrophic events of the past six days in Haiti. It is important in times like these that we come together and find ways to help in any way we can,” she said.

Meanwhile, Wyclef Jean and Anderson Cooper will co-host George Clooney's MTV telethon this Friday – Clooney will be in LA, Jean in New York, and Cooper will be live in Haiti. Donations will go to Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF and Wyclef’s Yéle Haiti Foundation.

“I’m going to be doing the thing that George [Clooney] is organizing; the telethon,” said British actress Emily Blunt. “But I think, really, it’s just about everyone — everyone — needs to jump in. Everyone needs to get involved in whatever way they can. So, I think I’m just going to research the best way to help.”

Joe Jonas from the Jonas Brothers is taking his giving one step further – he plans to visit the country and help out.

“[I can get there] either this Tuesday or, like, two or three weeks from now,” he said. “I can’t promise I’m going to go, but I’m going to try,” he insisted. “I really want to be able to support in any way I can; I was going to go to Haiti before, to do similar work there. But now it’s obviously a completely different thing and my heart goes out to those people there and the families and everything. I just pray that everybody’s all right, and I’m going to try and do my best by getting there. And I would definitely say, if anyone can give money or support, it’s the perfect way to do it.”

John Travolta has also dug deep to help the relief efforts: “I have arranged for a plane to take down some volunteer ministers and some supplies and some medics. I hope that inspires others as well. It’s needed.”

Actress Kerry Washington has put her efforts into helping struggling mothers in Haiti through V-Day: “We have a safe house in Haiti for women who are survivors of domestic violence. Our president just asked [George] Bush and [Bill] Clinton to come together for a fund.”

Sports stars are also lining up to lend a hand – tennis star Roger Federer has organized a massive tennis event featuring stars such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur to take place at the Australian Open.

“The entry fee is a minimum donation of $10,” he said. "This should be fun and it’s for a great cause.

“I think it’s something as a tennis family we’re very happy to do. I know it’s on the eve of the first Grand Slam of the season, so for some it’s not so easy maybe mentally to separate a few things — but I think it’s a great initiative.

“The devastating earthquake which hit Haiti on Tuesday measured 7.0 on the Richter Scale and has left tens of thousands of people dead. The United Nations has launched an appeal for hundreds of millions of dollars to try to help around three million people in need.”

90210 star AnnaLynne McCord was volunteering in Haiti in December, and has opened a Twitter page to appeal to fans to give.

“Okay everybody!” she wrote. "Time to get busy! Haiti needs our help, desperately! I was there 3 weeks ago volunteering with Artists for Peace and Justice. Please donate to them!"

Lady Gaga has also made use of Twitter to encourage fans to give to the cause – she announced that she will use her January 24 concert as a fundraiser.

“Jan 24th is GAGA FOR HELPING HAITI day,” she wrote. “Go to www.ladygaga.com on the 24th + 100% of all merchandise purchased goes to earthquake relief. Monies will be donated immediately, spread the word around the world so we can raise as much money as possible.  ”Little monsters attending the Monsterball on the 24th: all ticket + and merch/cd profit will be donated. Save your money. Help save a life."

The concert is at the Radio City Music Hall in New York.

LookToTheStars.org will keep you updated with all celebrity charity news relating to the Haitian earthquake as it comes to hand.

Tennis Pros Tutor Teens

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:31:00 -0000

Kids in NY were treated to tips from tennis stars Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams in NY last week.

Fans and youth from New York Junior Tennis League, Athletes for Charity, New York City Parks Foundation and Mentoring USA were on hand to learn from the pros at Nike’s 2009 unveiling of the US Open’s ‘look’.

“This is an exciting opportunity to bring the thrill of the US Open directly to tennis fans in New York,” said tennis icon John McEnroe. “Providing a platform for kids to experience the beauty and power of this game and meet their tennis icons is incredible.”

A temporary court was set up for the event at 23rd Street and Broadway, where a youth representative from each organization returned balls from a tennis simulator set to mimic pro shots. The representative who performed best was granted a donation for their local group.

Tennis Greats Sign Shirt For Charity

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Tennis fans only have a few days left to get their hands on a very special T-shirt signed by two of the game’s greatest players.

Buy Once Give Twice – Britain’s premier celebrity charity auction site – is serving up a fantastic Wimbledon shirt autographed by Roger Federer and Andy Murray, with proceeds to go to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The charity funds specially trained nurses across Britain who care for terminal cancer patients who want to die at home rather than in a hospice or hospital.

This once-in-a-lifetime auction ends on Friday, August 21, and can be accessed here.

Andy Murray Grants Wish For Sick Teens

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Two tennis-mad teenagers have had their wish granted to attend The Championships at Wimbledon – and they met Andy Murray too!

The UK Make-A-Wish Foundation hosted two children from overseas when tennis fans 17 year old Christine McLinn, from Wisconsin, USA and Thys Kroezen, aged 15 and from the Netherlands, had their life-time wish granted to come to England and see a tennis match at the world famous Wimbledon tournament.

Christine is fighting Hodgkin’s disease and has played tennis since she was six years old. She has an expert knowledge on anything to do with tennis and her favourite female player is Serena Williams. She has had to endure chemotherapy, but she surprised medical experts by managing to win a local tennis championship within a few weeks of receiving the treatment.

Thys is fighting Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer – but despite having to have his left arm amputated due to his illness, he is still a keen tennis player.

The pair and their families were treated to Centre Court seats all day, where they were able to see matches featuring Maria Sharapova vs Gisela Dulko, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez vs Roger Federer and Sam Querry vs Marin Cilic.

Then there was a big surprise in store for the two teenagers, as they were lucky enough to have a VIP meeting with the UK’s number one tennis player, Andy Murray. They chatted for around half an hour about tennis and then Andy – showing great kindness in spending time with Thys and Christine during the first week of Wimbledon, the premier tournament of the year – presented them with signed T-shirts and had photographs taken with them.

Christine’s mother Cynthia said of the wish: “It has been one of the most exciting days of our lives and particularly for Christine because tennis got her through chemotherapy, and that makes it all the more touching.”

Thys’s mother said: “It was a most fantastic day. Lots of nice unexpected things happened and Make-A-Wish in Holland and their British colleagues made our wish possible after a long and difficult year for our family. Now Thys can start his ‘normal’ life again next week.”

Williams Sisters To Play In Charity Tennis Event

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Four of the world’s top women tennis players, including 2008 Grand Slam Champions Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, along with World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, will face off in a one-night only single elimination event which will also celebrate tennis legend Billie Jean King and benefit two charities.

The “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” is scheduled for Monday, March 2, at Madison Square Garden and will be telecast live on HBO beginning at 7:30 p.m. E.T.

Limited front row VIP tickets priced at $1,000.00 and additional tickets listed at $325.00, $175.00, $125.00, $75.00, and $50.00 went on sale today and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.thegarden.com. The $1.2 million “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup”, the featured component of the national “Tennis Night in America” promotion, is produced by StarGames in association with Madison Square Garden. The event will benefit the Dream Vaccines Foundation and Women's Sports Foundation.

“I am honored to be part of an event that showcases Serena, Venus, Jelena, and Ana – four of the best players in women’s tennis today — in one of the most storied tennis venues in the world,” said sports icon and tennis legend Billie Jean King. “This collection of players, competing in this spectacular venue, in an event that benefits the Women’s Sports Foundation and other organizations, is the perfect mix to deliver an exciting and entertaining celebration of women’s sports and tennis.”

On the heels of last spring’s sold out Pete Sampras/Roger Federer extravaganza, women’s tennis returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2000 when Martina Hingis defeated Monica Seles in the WTA Championships. The Garden hosted the WTA season-ending tournament every year but one between 1977 and 2000.

“Women’s tennis has a long-standing tradition at Madison Square Garden and we are excited that it will return with this premier event,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports. “Madison Square Garden aspires to host the biggest events with the brightest stars in sports and entertainment, and this evening of tennis certainly fits the bill.”

Founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation is a national charitable educational organization dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through physical activity.

The Dream Vaccines Foundation is a new non-profit US-based public charity that will be focused on the development of the vaccines against HIV/AIDS and malaria. Since the viruses that are the source of HIV and Malaria are different according to each region of the world, Dream Vaccines foundation will support specific human clinical trials in different areas of the developing world. The Foundation will offer grants to researchers and will also create and finance “Dream Vaccines Foundation Chairs” for professors willing to bring their input on those vaccines.

Tickets to the event are available here.

Lleyton Hewitt Launches Charity Auction

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Former tennis ace Lleyton Hewitt will be in Melbourne on Thursday, October 30, to promote a new charity auction.

The Cure Our Kids auction includes a range of unique items, such as the tennis racquet used by world No.1 Rafael Nadal, Ana Ivanovic’s pink tennis dress from her French Open win, as well as items from celebrities including Russell Crowe, Andre Agassi, Gwen Stefani, Toni Collette and Hugh Jackman.

“We’ve [also] got a signed shirt from Roger Federer that he actually gave me after he beat me, which is the last thing you want to see from someone who has beaten you in the locker room," said Hewitt. “It’s been hard bringing it all together – but it’s very satisfying.”

Cure Our Kids is a non-profit organization based in Sydney that is dedicated to raising money for the Oncology Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The auction can be accessed here.

Sir Elton John's White Tie And Tiara Party Hits The Beach

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Once a year Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish throw open the doors of their exquisite Berkshire home to a sparkling array of celebrities for their annual White Tie and Tiara Ball, and last night was no different as a staggering number of stars filed into the singer’s house for this year’s much-looked-forward-to event.

More than 600 guests turned up to the beach-themed party, each paying around US$6,000 for the dinner, auction, and concert. This year’s performance came from Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, and attendees included Bill Clinton, Elle Macpherson, Denzel Washington, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael Caine, Simon Cowell, Rod Stewart, Mischa Barton, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Gordon Ramsay, Tracey Emin, Roger Federer, Natalie Imbruglia, Kelly Osbourne, and Jemima Khan.

Sir Elton decorated his lavish garden with palm trees and sand for the party, which raised money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Last year’s event raised over $12 million for the cause, and the White Tie and Tiara Balls have made over $50 million since 1998.

Stars Sparkle for Elton John AIDS Foundation

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A charity party organised by Sir Elton John has raised $12.2 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and was a night to remember for all those involved.

Kate Winslet, Dame Judi Dench, and Elle Macpherson were among the 500 guests who dusted off their best clothes for the 9th annual White Tie and Tiara charity ball and auction, held on June 28 at Sir Elton’s home in Berkshire.

The theme of the night was “Las Vegas”, and the evening sparkled and shone as the celebrity party-goers wore their most stylish dresses and suits for the $6000/ticket event. Sir Elton’s house, “Woodside”, was lavishly decorated with a pink stretch cadillac, giant props from his “Red Piano” shows at Caesar’s Palace, and seven Elvis impersonators serenaded the crowd as they enjoyed a feast of “Las Vegas proportions”: truffle soufflé, followed by filet mignon with Maine lobster tail, and a giant knickerbocker glory for desert.

The dinner was followed by a special auction, in which guests bid on items such as a four day tennis lesson with Roger Federer (sold for $650,000), and an Audi R8 sportscar (snapped up for $800,000).

The most sought-after items for sale on the night included an artwork by party guest Tracey Emin, a trip to South Africa with Sir Elton and his partner, and a brand new Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe (which is said to be so elite that it has a waiting list that lasts until 2009). All of these items were sold for over $1.6 million each.

After the auction, guests such as Sir Michael Caine, Kirsten Dunst, and Stephen Fry – who wore a white tie AND tiara – were treated to the concert event of a lifetime. Backed by a 25 piece orchestra, Elton John joined Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Tom Jones on stage to duet on songs such as “Hey Big Spender” and “Delilah”.

During the event, Sir Elton said that over the last 15 years the Elton John Aids Foundation has raised over $125 million. Much of this money has been used to raise awareness and aid for those affected by the disease in 55 countries.

Federer plays tennis for children’s charity

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 19:56:53 -0000

Written by Greg Hitchcock

Tennis superstar Roger Federer agreed to play an hour of tennis Saturday Sept. 2 with the highest bidder for the Australian children’s charity, the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

The top prize for the highest bidder included an hour’s tennis with Federer and his coach, Sydney-based Tony Roche at the first annual Humpty Dumpty Ball as well as two first-class return air tickets to Dubai with Emirates and five nights accommodation at the world’s only seven star resort, the Burj Al Arab.

The Swiss ace agreed to donate his time to the charity which raises money for medical equipment for a series of children’s hospitals. The money raised was used to purchase a piece of children’s medical equipment with Federer’s and the bidder’s names attached on a plaque.

Federer has been the recipient of the Laureus “World Sportsman of the Year” and has already been described by fellow players as one of the game’s true greats having won eight Grand Slam Singles titles and holding the World number one position since February 2004, which is the third longest consecutive stay at World number one.

Look To The Stars News: Roger Federer

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